1. Field of the Invention
The present invention can be applied to, for example, a system which transmits and receives data via an interface conforming to the communication format of an IEEE 1394.
2. Description of Related art
As a conventional apparatus comprising an AV (Audio/Video) system, there is an apparatus in which a read only CD (Compact Disc) player, and a recordable and reproducible MD (Mini Disc) recorder/player are connected to an STR (Stereo Tuner Receiver) having a tuner function to which an analog signal can be input, via an interface.
In the above described AV system, it is possible to switch over among an analog function mode, a tuner function mode, a CD function mode, and an MD function mode by conducting input selection in the STR.
However, any alarm display has not been given for a loop connection in the STR of the conventional AV system, although the loop connection is inhibited on the protocol of the IEEE 1394 serial interface. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that a user cannot recognize the loop state.
Even in the case where error display is conducted, there is no distinction between an error of a receiving system and an error within the STR, and contents of error display are vague. Furthermore, in this case, some symptoms are handled collectively as one alarm display. This results in a disadvantage that the user cannot determine what kind of measure should be taken.
Furthermore, in the case where a personal computer (PC) is connected to a MD or DV (digital video tape recorder) to form a network and the PC has detected the loop connection, the PC cannot conduct error display showing loop connection, in the conventional art, unless the PC starts driver software of the MD or DV, which is low order, and thereafter starts control software of the MD or DV, which is high order application software. Therefore, if an error is detected, the high order application software cannot be started immediately. As a result, error display cannot be conducted.
In view of the points heretofore described, the present invention has been made. The present invention attempts to propose a network error display apparatus and an error detection display method capable of displaying a user's measure intelligibly while making a distinction between an error of the receiving system on the network and an error within a device.